Hunter Biden is set to testify behind closed doors at Capitol Hill in front of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees as part of the impeachment inquiry against his father. The deposition, although not recorded, will have a transcript released to the public. House Republicans had been pushing for Hunter Biden to testify, threatening him with criminal contempt if he refused. He is considered a significant witness in the inquiry.
The focus of the questioning is expected to be on Hunter Biden's business dealings, particularly his involvement with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma and his ventures in China. The Justice Department had previously investigated him for tax crimes related to these business activities.
After months of negotiations, Hunter Biden agreed to testify, leading to the closed-door session. The decision to keep the testimony private was made to prevent selective leaks and ensure transparency. The transcript of the deposition will be promptly released to the public.
Questions surrounding Alexander Smirnoff, an FBI informant who provided information to the inquiry but was later found to have lied to the FBI, may impact the Hunter Biden situation. Republicans have been attempting to link Joe Biden to foreign money, but so far, no direct evidence has been presented.
Despite the doubts raised by Smirnoff's credibility, the impeachment inquiry is expected to continue, with Hunter Biden potentially not being the last witness called to testify. The ongoing investigation aims to scrutinize the Justice Department's handling of the case involving the FBI informant.
